Cinch for belts and the like



Nov. 17, 1942. w; E E HAL 2,3 2,258

CINCH FOR BELTS AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 2, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 leg 4 fizz/aviary n a/zferfi zQose C/cz/e/me 14/ Rose 5 W/mebeaa & 1/09! Attorneys Per (6% Patented Nov. 17, 1942 CINCH FOR BELTS AND THE LIKE Walter E. Rose and Clarence W. Rose, Denver, 0010.

Application September 2, 1941, Serial No. 409,204

9 Claims.

This invention relates to cinches or devices for adjustably clamping or holding the ends of belts, straps, bands or the like and it is especially, though by no means exclusively, adapted for use in clamping the ends of web or other heavy belts, such as safety beltsused by window washers, and in the description terminology appropriate to Window washers belts and cinches therefor, will be used for convenience.

Objects of the invention are to provide a device of the character described which shall (a) provide practical insurance against breakage either of the cinch or the belt by providing not only great strength in the cinch itself but also. and especially by so shaping and sizing the beltcontacting portions of the cinch as to minimize the tendency of the fastening means to Wear or injure the surface of the belt and to materially lessen the difierence in the tension on the opposite surfaces of the belt; (b) be of extreme simplicity and economy in manufacture, structure and use and (c) insure against slippage of the belt in relation to the cinch under conditions of intermittent as well as continuous tension on the belt.

With these and other objects in view, all of which shall more fully hereinafter appear, the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts as shall now be described and claimed and as illustrated I in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a view of the cinch with the ends of a belt secured thereto, being in front elevation as positioned in use upon the wearer of the belt.

Fig. 2 is a View of the assembly shown in Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow 2 at the bottom of Fig. 1.

Fig. '3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view in the same position as Fig. l but showing the two elements of the cinch nested without the belt.

Fig. 5 is a View of Fig. 4 looking in direction of the arrow 5 at Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view like Fig. 5 but showing the two elements of the cinch exploded or separated.

Fig. 7 is a sectional View on line 'l'l of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 88 of Fig. l.

This cinch, embodying the present invention, is composed of two elements which are duplicates in construction except that one of the elements has outward, extensions with upstanding lugs shown at the extreme right in all of the figures,

' a generally elongated rectangular shape and is l to 7, but most clearly at Figs. 1 and 4, and, in

indicated at Ilia, which portions lila are the same throughout except that said portions Illa on part A have reduced extensions Hlb which terminate in upstanding lugs lllc adapted to slidingly enclose fins Hid of part B, which fins are extensions of the inner half or less (in thickness) of bars l0. Lugs Inc are also adapted to engage the ends We of portions Illa of bars ID of part B, when the belt is clamped in the cinch, and limit interrelative longitudinal movement of parts A and B in one direction, as clearly illustrated at Figs. 1 and 2. The enclosure of fins "1d of part B, between the extensions I01) and lugs I 00 of part A, prevents lateral interrelative movement of parts A and B.

Cross bars 12 are substantially triangular in cross section, the base of the triangle, which is the outer surface I 2a of the bar [2, being curved, giving a curved outer surface to bar I2.

The belt-contacting surfaces of cross bars 13 are preferably eccentrically or French curved throughout, all as indicated at l3a and as clearly illustrated at Figs. 3, 4 and '7 and as, and for the purpose, hereinfter more fully described.

The portion Ifla, may have the reduced extension 0b 011 part B as well as on part A, as illustrated at Figs. 2, 5 and 6, but, in part B, these extensions lfib do not carry the lugs IOc.

Each portion Illa has a portion [0f project ing toward the reduced extension Hlb on the opposed part and adapted to slidimly engage the upper surface or edg of said reduced extension Hlb on the opposed part, whenever the belt II is not between the bars I2 and I3, as illustrated at Fig. 5 and at the right at Fig. 2.

Each end of a band or belt attached to the cinch may b threaded between the bars 12 and I3 and gripped therebetween by opposite pulls upon the two portions of the belt or band, but, in general practice, when in use for a belt, it is preferable to attach one end of the belt to the cinch ina more or less fixed or permanent man ner leaving the other end of the belt to be attached and adjusted by threading upwardly through the open center of the two parts A and B and thence around bar I3 of part B and down between bars I3 and I2 as above referred to. This preferable method is illustrated in the drawings and will now be described.

Parts A and B being nested as illustrated at Fig. 5, one end of belt II is passed beneath the pair of bars I2-I3 at the end of the assembly carrying the lugs I90 and is looped over the said pair of bars I 2-I3 and fastened upon itself by rivets I4 or by stitching or other suitable means, all as clearly illustrated at Figs. 1, 2 and 3, thus forming a loop I5 permanently enclosing the pair of bars I2-I3 and bearing solely upon their rounded surfaces l2a and I311, the loop lying between fins IQd of part B, as clearly illustrated at Fig. 1.

The belt II is then passed around the wearer and the other end passed under the other pair of bars I2-I3 and threaded up and around bar I3 and down between bar I3 and bar I2 and back under bar I2 where the end It lies between bar I2 and the main reach of belt I I, all as clearly illustrated at the left at Fig. 3.

Bar I3 is notched, indented or depressed, as at I3b, on the side adjacent bar I2 when the parts A and B are nested or arranged for nesting, so that, when nested, triangular bar I2 will seat in the notch, indentation or depression I31) and, likewise, when the belt is threaded between the bars and tension is applied, the bars will tightly grip the belt between them, the edge I22) of bar I2 tending to bend the belt into the depression I31) so that it is bent around the edge I30 of bar 13, around the edge I2b of bar I2 and thence around the edge I of bar I2. These edges may be all rounded, as illustrated, but the triple bend in the belt, accompanied by the tendency of bars I2-I3 to draw closer together as the tension on the belt increases, insures against slip page.

A principal element of insurance against breakage is the large and preferably French curved surface I3a around which the belt is looped, contacting practically the entire extent of said surface I3a So that the major portion of the resistance of the cinch to the tension on the belt is exerted by the extensive curved surface In of bar 53 and the tendency of edges I3c, I2b and He to wear upon or cause injury to the belt is so greatly reduced as to be practically eliminated.

It will be noted that the depending portion of bar I3 terminating in edge l3d depends or extends so far downwardly (in the position shown at the left at Figs. 3, 6 and 7) that it guides belt I I in a continuous, wide and preferably eccentric curve from edge I30, around curved surface I3a andv onward to a point below edge I20 where it blends into a straight line.

The construction above described affords smooth, comparatively large curved surfaces for engagement of the belt with the cinch, excepting where the belt passes around edges I30, I21) and I20 and because of the wrapping of the belt around the large curved surface I3a of bar I3, there will be practically no movement of the belt over any of the less curved edges I30, I21) and I20 and, for the same reason, there will be comparatively little pull on the belt over these three edges.

The cross section contour of bar I3 with its comparatively large curved surface I3a and its notch or cutaway I3b is important. By this structure a curved surface I3a is provided which is sufficiently extensive and has a sufficiently gradual curvature, to practically eliminate that deterioration of the belt which results from high tension of a belt around angles or small curves or bends while the notch or cutaway I3b eliminates a considerable portion of the bulk and weight of bar I3 and, in addition, provides a recess within which bar I2 may seat or in which, where the belt is threaded between the bars, bar I2 depresses and grips the belt.

Further, the preferred curvature of surface I3a, as illustrated in the drawings, is important. The curve is an eccentric or French curve, gradually increasing in radius to the tip I3d whence the belt blends into a substantially straight line. The tension on the belt is greater adjacent tip ltd than it is around the sharper curve at the top of the bar so that this construction provides a reducing degree of curvature throughout the area where the tension increases, blending into the rectilinear at the point of maximum tension.

The result of this construction is the elimination of slippage of the belt in the cinch and the practical elimination of wear upon or injury to the surface of the belt at its points of contact with the cinch and the very material reduction in that deterioration which results from tensioning a belt around angles or sharp curves.

Under some conditions of use of the belt and cinch here illustrated and described, the alternate tensioning of and releasing tension from the belt would tend to allow the belt to creep out from between the bars I3--I2 and become loose were it not for the lugs Ific engaging the ends Ide of portions I 8a and thereby holding the parts A and B against an interrelative longitudinal movement which would permit such creeping.

It will be noted that the parts A and B are the same except for lugs I00 on part A. Therefore, both parts may, if desired, be formed in the mold for part A and, in order to form part B therefrom all that is needed is to cut off the lugs leaving the diagonal surfaces indicated by :c at Figs. 1 and 4.

Alternatively, if desired, the mold for part A may be filled with suitable material in that part which normally forms the lugs IfIc so that when the mold is used it will produce part B complete, in form illustrated in the drawings.

Whatever method of manufacture be used for parts A and B, the forms, molds and processes are duplicates except for the lugs.

The ease and speed with which the free end of a belt may be inserted into and detached from the cinch is obvious as is the sureness with which the belt is held against slippage when threaded around and between the bars as described.

While we have illustrated and described many details of construction we are not limited thereto as many variations in detail of construction,

equivalent to those shown and described, will ocour to those skilled in the art.

We claim:

1. A cinch comprising a pair of co-mating frames, one of said frames carrying lugs which engage portions of the other frame, when the frames are co-mated, and being adapted, by such engagement, to limit interrelative movement of the frames in certain directions.

2. In a cinch as defined in claim 1 said lugs projecting from one end of said lug-carrying frame, said frames being otherwise duplicates in structure.

3. In a cinch as defined in claim 1 said lugs being adapted by means of said engagement to prevent lateral interrelative movement of the frames and to limit interrelative longitudinal movement of the frames in one direction.

4. A cinch comprising a pair of co-mating frames, fins carried by one frame, means carried by the other frame adapted to enclose the fins to prevent interrelative lateral movement of the frames.

5. A cinch comprising a pair of co-mating frames, side projections on one frame and means carried by the other frame adapted to contact said projections to limit interrelative longitudinal movement of the frames in one direction.

6. A cinch comprising two rectangular frames which are duplicates and. adapted. to co-mate when one frame is endwise reversed relative to the other frame, each frame including a cross bar having a relatively large convexly curved surface on one side and having a seat on the other side adapted to receive a co-mating bar when one frame is reversed endwise.

'7. In a cinch as defined in claim 6 the large convex surface of the bar being an eccentric curve.

8. In a cinch comprising two cooperating frames, a cross bar on each frame adapted to cooperate with the bar on the other frame to grip a belt which is looped around one of said bars and threaded between said bars, one of said bars having on one side a relatively large convexly curved surface adapted for looping a belt therearound and having on the other side a seat adapted for depression of the belt thereinto by the other bar.

9. In a cinch as defined in claim 8 said convexly curved surface being eccentrically convexly curved.

WALTER E. ROSE. V CLARENCE W. ROSE. 

